Computing equipment, like servers, can be located in a server rack. In some configurations, server racks can employ top-of-rack switching, which is a network architecture designed to allow servers and other electronic appliances to connect to an in-rack network switch. Typically, a switch can sit at the top of a server rack for easy accessibility and cable management. Cables connect each server in the server rack to the switch. The switch can then connect to an external data center network. This design allows for short, in-rack connections between each server and the switch. A single, longer connection is then provided between the switch on the server rack and the data center network. Alternative designs for server racks are more expensive and rely on individual connections between each server and the external data center network.
Due to all these connections between servers on the rack, the switch, and an exterior data center network, rack assembly operators need to manage a large number of cables within the server racks. Further, operators need to correctly identify which cable can be used for which connection in the server racks. Operators typically rely on labels on both sides of a cable to identify the proper connection between the server and the switch. However, in spite of the reliance on these labels, human error still occurs. Therefore, what is needed is a mechanism to reduce or eliminate errors in connecting cables between servers and a switch.